California Passes Common Sense Voter Registration Law. LULAC Calls on Other States to Follow Suit.

October 16, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C.– Earlier this week, California became the second state in the country to implement legislation that automatically registers eligible voters when they either apply or renew their driver's license. In response, LULAC National President, Roger C. Rocha Jr., issued the following statement:

"LULAC applauds California for passing legislation that encourages and supports increased voter participation, which is a cornerstone of our democracy. Rather than spending time and money putting up road blocks that impede voter participation, with this legislation, California has shown the country that a state can and should help its citizenry exercise their civic duty. The law will have tremendous impact on individuals who want to vote but find the process confusing to navigate. For organizations like LULAC that are working to increase Latino voter participation, this law is tremendously helpful, but more work still needs to be done. We must still ensure that Latinos turn out to vote and have the information they need in order to make informed decisions at the ballot box."

According to data from the Center of American Progress, in 2012, out of the 23.3 million Latinos that were eligible to vote, 9.6 million Latinos (41 percent) who were eligible did not register. California is the largest state in the country to pass an automatic voter registration law. According to estimates by California election officials, there are approximately 6.6 million Californians who are eligible to vote but are not registered.

The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the nation’s largest and oldest civil rights volunteer-based organization that empowers Hispanic Americans and builds strong Latino communities. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with 1,000 councils around the United States and Puerto Rico, LULAC’s programs, services and advocacy address the most important issues for Latinos, meeting critical needs of today and the future. For more information, visit www.LULAC.org, www.LULAC.org/facebook, and www.LULAC.org/twitter.